"No Hunting on Sundays"

Are there any more sacred days on a hunter’s calendar than those that fall between Thursday and Monday? Do any of the other days really matter if we cannot have those few precious mornings to get out in the woods? And what if those days were taken away from us? What if we were told that on some of those days, the days we rise early to slip into the darkness of the forests and beat the morning light, we could not hunt? Well, for some in this country that is the law of the land. A law that dates back to our begins and one which is still followed in its entirety. But looking more closely at the practice, perhaps it is time we take a step back and reevaluate what hunting, and Sundays, really mean to us.

As I have found myself in a period of change and uncertainty I have moved back to New England, the place where I grew up and the place that will forever define me. It is a place with vast beauty, unique culture, and unprecedented history; a land where our nation was founded and where millions upon millions of people now call home. But inherent in our region’s co-evolution with the birth of this country, this area has been exposed to an ever changing culture, one where shifts in laws and attitudes are nearly an everyday occurrence. However, despite this, there are some laws, namely Blue Laws, which have held on since the colonial days and which many still see as having purpose in our modern day society.

Blue Laws often refer to legislation that was designed to enforce religious standards, such as protecting Sunday as a day of worship. They were put in place to act as a shield and guide for our citizens and allow for a universal day of reflection and rest. The idea being that by prohibiting activities on these days one could protect shop owners, saloon owners and others of the like from being forced to open their doors on a sacred day. But the question has recently become, do these laws still apply in today’s world? Is the banning of certain activities fair?

Without going into boring detail, the Supreme Court has several times voted in favor of Blue Laws, stating that they are not exclusively religious in nature but have a secular basis as well. The day of rest providing all citizens, religious or not, with a day to recover, relax, and enjoy one another’s company. But who defines what one finds as relaxing? Who defines what is best for me personally?

I think Blue Laws walk a fine line. I like them in theory because they promote the religious values that this country was founded on. I like them because in an increasingly secular society having a little religion in our lives is, for me, still very important. However, we come back to the question of who decides how I should practice my religion? Why does one have to follow a strict standard when it comes to faith? My point is not to sit here and push religion or talk about the ins and outs of faith, but simply to question the true meaning behind the law.

I am a Catholic. I believe in God and I have tried to live my life in a moral and honest way however, I am sure that I do not conform to the model of a standard worshipper. I find that I connect with God in many ways outside of organized religion and one of those ways is in the early morning, on top of a dew covered mountain glassing for deer in the sun’s first light. When I am up there I feel more connected to my faith that anywhere else on Earth. I appreciate all that is in front of me and when I am thousands of feet above the valley floors I am thankful for all I have and for the promise of a new day.

Why do we need to sit idly by while a perfectly good day passes by? It is on those days out hunting that I relax, that I find my relief from the world and when I am able to take a step back from the chaos that is life and just let everything go. Those are the days when my little dog finds himself up early and at the ready. He waits patiently all week, knowing that one day I will come down the stairs, shotgun in hand, and the game will be on. For him and me, that is our time together, a time of complete happiness and joy. A bond reinforced every five days, over and over again.

Looking over some of the New England states we find that in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine there is still no hunting on Sundays (some exemptions apply). Can this really be the case? These laws were designed to protect our religious traditions but I only write to ask, could they in fact, be hindering the few opportunities I have to get closer to my faith? Or, if you have a more secular view, are theses laws hindering your ability to just let go, hunt, and enjoy my weekend for what it is, a few days away from work?

So, I say, let’s hunt on Sundays, let’s enjoy it for the recreational activity it is and let us connect with nature. Whether God is included in that is up to the individual, but let us have our Sundays. Let us have our day of repose. Let us hunt.